JACKSON, Wyo. — March 20 marks the first official day of spring, a season characterized by the reemergence of wildflowers that include Wyoming’s state flower, the Indian Paintbrush.
The Indian Paintbrush, also known as Prairie Fire, is native to the western Americas and became the Wyoming state flower in 1917. Contrary to its name, the flower of the Paintbrush isn’t a flower at all. The petallike bracts are actually modified leaves.
Indian Paintbrush has been used by many different Native American tribes in a number of ways, from condiments to medicine to hair gloss. Paintbrush have a high selenium content, which can also make it toxic if consumed in high amounts.
These plants are hemiparasite and suck water and nutrients from perennial grasses and other plants through their roots despite their ability to also photosynthesize. They rely on pollinators like hummingbirds for reproduction.
Multiple North American tribes share an origin story for the Indian Paintbrush Flower. The tale says a young boy was on a quest to paint the sunset but couldn’t find any way to capture the colors until he found a bed of Paintbrush. After leaving his paintbrushes behind, that’s allegedly why Indian Paintbrush flowers are found in every color of the sunset: red, orange, yellow, pink and blue.
As spring takes over the valley, these plants can be found around town and in Grand Teton National Park, primarily from April to July.
